JL Bourg quickly decided. Forced to strengthen after the injury of William McDowell-White, who missed around eight weeks due to a fracture of the fourth metacarpus, the Game chose experience by recruiting Will Cherry until the end of February. A profile honed to the demands of the high level, capable of providing stability and leadership in a pivotal period of the season.
Will Cherry as reinforcement 🚨
Leader of experiments on all continents, Will joins the team! His adaptability and rich experience of different playing styles will be a valuable key for the squad.
Welcome Will đź‘‹ pic.twitter.com/bFXbJMq55l
— JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) January 9, 2026
A hard blow to compensate after the injury of William McDowell-White
Already physically weakened this season, William McDowell-White stopped again at the end of December, after a violent impact against the backboard during a Betclic ELITE match. A long-term absence which pushed the Ain club to look for a medical freelancer, with a clear guideline: not to disrupt the collective balance.
JL Bourg therefore favored a player with a solid background, capable of quickly integrating into a team engaged on several levels.
A rich journey between NBA, EuroLeague and major Europe
A native of Oakland, California, Will Cherry came into his own at the University of Montana, where he was twice named Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Undrafted in the NBA, he quickly found his place in the professional world, passing through the D-League – now G-League – before having a short stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers (eight matches).
This springboard then took him to Europe, where he finished the 2014-2015 season at Žalgiris Kaunaswith whom he won the Lithuanian championship. Several major references on the Old Continent will follow: ALBA Berlin, Gaziantep, Cedevita Zagreb or even theOlympiakos in 2019-2020, for a second adventure in the EuroLeague. So many steps which have forged his reputation as a reliable player, intense defensively and with a real understanding of the European game.
More recent adventures outside the traditional circuits
Since 2023, Will Cherry has then chosen to continue his career in championships with less media exposure, but very different in their approach to the game. The American thus went through Iran with Shahrdari Gorgan BC, then through Egypt at Al Ittihad Alexandria for the BAL, before having a South American experience.
In Venezuela in the spring of 2025, he played 13 matches with the Cocodrilos de Caracas, in the Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto. Used as a manager and experienced leader, he posted 13.3 points (with a peak of 31 points on April 18), 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists on average, confirming his impact in several sectors of the game and his ability to adapt to very varied contexts.
François Lamy: “It is impossible to take the slightest risk with collective alchemy”
JL Bourg sporting director François Lamy also explained the context of the signing of Will Cherry, a player away from the European circuit for two and a half years and who has not played competitively for eight months:
“The extremely degraded situation of the player market has already been the subject of numerous declarations this year. This search was even more complicated since it is a short contract, and we have a team with a remarkable state of mind, and in a rather positive dynamic. It is impossible to take the slightest risk with this collective alchemy.
Before another even more complicated series of meetings, with grueling travel, we persisted in this search, targeting players already active this season, but none of the avenues came to fruition. The choice of Will Cherry is based on several criteria. Even if inactive since the start of the season, he is a player with recognized physical qualities. He has maintained himself, and although he misses the pace of competition, the experience factor is irreplaceable. He will therefore provide us with reinforcement in a complicated period, with qualities quite similar to William, and above all bring his natural leadership of a player with such experience. »
With the arrival of Will Cherry, who will not be qualified to face Strasbourg this Saturday, JL Bourg is banking on experience to get through a decisive stretch of the season, while awaiting the return of William McDowell-White. A profile reminiscent of that of EJ Rowland (1.89 m, 42 years old). Let’s hope for the Game, which does not want to upset its collective, that it will be able to quickly contribute, while the latest recruit Tajuan Agee struggles to have an impact in the interior sector (4.8 rebounds and 3.4 rebounds in 14 minutes).
/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.basketusa.com%2Fmain%2F2026%2F05%2FUSATSI_21785018.jpg)